Adjustable bedstead for invalids



C. S. WOODS. ADJUSTABLE BEDSTEADFOR INVALIDS.

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 17, 1921.

Patented May 30, 1922.

THE 2 affozuew To all whom it may concern:

CHARLES S. WOODS, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

Parana ADJUSTABLE nnns'rnan roza rn'vnnins.

Application filed June 17,

Be it known that I, CrmnLns'S; VVoons, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident supporting a bed mattress lh'andsaid bed of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certaln new and useful Adjustable Bedstead for Invalids;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,a'nd exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts. I

This invention relates to invalid and fracture beds and the like, and the chief object of the invention is to rovide'asim lified' mechanism which can be readily associated with a standard bed to transform the sameinto a fracture or lnvallds'bed.

Heretofore'when therewas a fracture case, r

a complete fracture bed had to be obtained, and after the case was disposed of this type of bed had to be removed or stored away. By means of this invention, the standard bed may be transformed into a fracture bed by merely securing therattachment thereto.

The chief feature of the invention consists in providing an auxiliary bed frame, with suitable elevating means which maybe detachablyconnected to-the standard bed legs for supporting the said frame, said elevating means including worm and worm "gear drives.

Another feature of the invention consists in the guide means associating the bedstead j and the elevating means, whereby said elevating means will be maintained in aligned relation and which will also prevent collapsing thereof when the auxiliary bed frame is in the elevated position. 1 1

Another feature of the invention consists in providing adjustable elevating means with suitable power means, which permits the former and the latter to be attached with equal facility to beds of varying sizes.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bedstead provided with an auxiliary bed frame and means for elevating the same. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe elevating means. Fig, 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrows to illustrate the worm and worm wheel connection. Fig. 4 is a 1921. Serial No.478,255.

means and is taken on line 4 4c of Fig. 2.

' sectional view of the rack and ear elevatin i In the drawings 10, indicatesa bed spring j spring is supported by the head and foot portions 12 and 13 respectively,each'rof which is provided with'the usual vertical. leg

means for elevating the aforesaid auxiliary bed frame, butsaid means such as breakable straps, have'been cumbersome or crude 1n comparison to the simplicity. of applicants device. F urthermnre, it has been'the'custom ,to provide in devices of this character suitable dog. and ratchet means for limiting the return movementof the auxiliary. bed frame. In the presentinvention the necessity for ratchet means 'is eliminated by the, use of worm and worm wheel drives associated with 1 each of the elevating pillars. Another 'im'- provement is "the provision of meansfor preventing the collapsing of the auxiliary M bed frame and elevating means WllQIllIl the elevated position' till another improvement embodied inthis' invention-is its applicability to beds of varying sizes. 'Theme'a'ns for both elevating and supporting the auxiliary bed frame comprises a pillar or standard 16, which is suitably secured thereto by a bracket', as shown, or otherwise, as desired), The standard or pillar 16 is provided with a plurality ofte'eth 17uponfione face thereof, thereby forming a rack. The rack upon one face thereof isprovided with a longitudinally extending-slot l8, and said slot or groove is adapted to receive a tongue or key19 attachably associated with the leg 14. Said attachable tongue provides a tongue and groove connection with the rack and maintains said rack in alignment such that when the four racks tioned upon the shaft 23 is a worm wheel 25,

' inthe desired direction.

and said worm wheel meshes with a worm 26, which worm is keyed or otherwise suitably secured to a shaft which also is rotatably sup orted in each of the brackets.

' erein three shafts are illustrated, to -wit,

the shafts 27,28 and 29. The shaft 27 is fashioned to -.receive.a crank handle 30.

I hlSO positioned upon said shaft is a bearing 31 for 'rotatably supporting one end of the longitudinally extending shaft 28. Upon the-shafts 27 and 28 is a pair of meshing .bevel gears 32 suitably secured to said shafts so as to be rotatable therewith and thereby. The other end of'the shaft 28 is similarly associated with-the shaft 29 and is similarly provided with a pair of of bevel gears 132 such that rotational movement of the crank handle 30 causes the shafts27, 28 and 29 to rotate, thereby rotating each of the worms 26 Thus, the simultaneous rotation of the worms 26 will cause the simultaneous rotation of each of they Worm wheels 25 and the gear wheels 24 so that each, of the racks 16 will be elevated or lowered simultaneously with the others.

they may be moved slidably with respect to their supports, to-wit, the brackets 20 and the bearings 31, thereby providing that the attachments and the shaft willbe adjustable to varying sizes of beds.

The invention claimed is: I

1. The combination with a standard bedstead, a mattress mounted thereon, and a spring construction for supporting said mattress, of an attachment for converting said bed into an invalid bed comprising an invalid bed frame structure adapted to be supported over said mattress, aplurality of standards secured to said frame structure having ratchet teeth thereon, pinions for engaging said teeth, a plurality of shafts for driving said pinions whereby said frame standard may be elevated or lowered with stead, a mattress mounted thereon, and a spring construction for supporting said mattress, of an attachment for. converting said bed into an invalid bed comprising an invalid bed frame structure adapted to be supported over said mattress, a plurality of standards secured to said frame structure having ratchet teeth thereon, pinions for engaging said teeth, a longitudinally adjustable shaft for driving said pinions whereby said frame standards may beelevated or lowered with respect to said bed stead, and means for detachably securing said shafts and standards to said bedstead so as to be removable therefrom and adjustable to the varying sizes thereof.

8. The combination with a standard bedstead, of an adjustable and detachable invalid bed frame adapted to be mounted thereon, including a frame structure, ajplurality of standards for supporting said structure having ratchet teeth thereon, a

housing detachably mounted on said bedstead through which said standards are arranged to extend, pinions mounted in said It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the shafts 27, 28 and 29 are so associated together that housing in position to engage the ratchet teeth of. said standards, shafts for supporting turning said shaft so as to elevate and lower said bed structure, and a'longitudinally adjustable shaft operatively connected with said transverse shafts mid-way between the ends thereof, whereby said shafts may be simultaneously operated for adjusting said bed structure.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature. I

CHARLES s. Woons. 

